title: Blood natural killer activity is reduced in men with occupational stress and job insecurity working in a university.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the immune response to job strain and insecurity of 88 men working in a university, divided according to age and type of employment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anxiety, job strain, job insecurity and subjective symptoms were measured by questionnaires. Blood NK cytotoxic activity was determined by an in vitro method and lymphocyte subpopulations by flow-cytometry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Employees (over 40 years old) in a library showed higher values of job strain, anxiety and subjective symptoms and lower blood NK activity than the controls. The young employees with temporary employment showed high job insecurity and reduced blood NK activity, while the young sanitary staff with temporary position showed normal immune response. NK cytotoxic activity of the recruited men was negatively correlated with anxiety, work load and job insecurity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Not only anxiety and depression but also high levels of job strain and/or insecurity may affect the health status by reducing blood NK activity.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Occupational Medicine, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy. boscolo@unich.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boscolo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Giampaolo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forcella
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dadorante
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alparone
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagliaro
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouri
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magrini
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fattorini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011590:Psychology, Industrial; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D035501:Uncertainty; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology